Ionome mapping and amino acid metabolome profiling of Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds imbibed with computationally informed phytoengineered copper sulphide nanoparticles

Nandipha L Botha; Karen J Cloete; Žiga Šmit; Kristina Isaković; Mahmood Akbari; Razieh Morad; Itani Madiba; Oladipupo Moyinoluwa David; Luis P M Santos; Admire Dube; Primoz Pelicon; Malik Maaza

doi:10.1186/s11671-023-03953-y

Ionome mapping and amino acid metabolome profiling of Phaseolus vulgaris L. seeds imbibed with computationally informed phytoengineered copper sulphide nanoparticles

Discov Nano. 2024 Jan 4;19(1):8. doi: 10.1186/s11671-023-03953-y.

Authors

Nandipha L Botha^{1

2}, Karen J Cloete^{3

4}, Žiga Šmit^{5

6}, Kristina Isaković⁶, Mahmood Akbari^{7

8}, Razieh Morad^{7

8}, Itani Madiba^{7

8}, Oladipupo Moyinoluwa David⁹, Luis P M Santos¹⁰, Admire Dube⁹, Primoz Pelicon⁶, Malik Maaza^{7

8}

Affiliations

¹ UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology Laboratories, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria, 0003, South Africa. bothanandipha9@gmail.com.
² Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, PO Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province, 7129, South Africa. bothanandipha9@gmail.com.
³ UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology Laboratories, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria, 0003, South Africa. kaboutercloete@gmail.com.
⁴ Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, PO Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province, 7129, South Africa. kaboutercloete@gmail.com.
⁵ Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, University of Ljubljana, Jadranska 19, 1000, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
⁶ Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, 1001, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
⁷ UNESCO-UNISA Africa Chair in Nanosciences and Nanotechnology Laboratories, College of Graduate Studies, University of South Africa, Muckleneuk Ridge, PO Box 392, Pretoria, 0003, South Africa.
⁸ Nanosciences African Network (NANOAFNET), iThemba LABS-National Research Foundation, PO Box 722, Somerset West, Western Cape Province, 7129, South Africa.
⁹ School of Pharmacy, University of the Western Cape, Bellville, 7535, South Africa.
¹⁰ Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, Federal University of Ceará, Campus of PICI, Fortaleza, CE, 60440-900, Brazil.

Abstract

This study reports the effects of a computationally informed and avocado-seed mediated Phyto engineered CuS nanoparticles as fertilizing agent on the ionome and amino acid metabolome of Pinto bean seeds using both bench top and ion beam analytical techniques. Physico-chemical analysis of the Phyto engineered nanoparticles with scanning-electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy confirmed the presence of CuS nanoparticles. Molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the interaction of some active phytocompounds in avocado seeds that act as reducing agents with the nano-digenite further showed that 4-hydroxybenzoic acid had a higher affinity for interacting with the nanoparticle's surface than other active compounds. Seeds treated with the digenite nanoparticles exhibited a unique ionome distribution pattern as determined with external beam proton-induced X-ray emission, with hotspots of Cu and S appearing in the hilum and micropyle area that indicated a possible uptake mechanism via the seed coat. The nano-digenite also triggered a plant stress response by slightly altering seed amino acid metabolism. Ultimately, the nano-digenite may have important implications as a seed protective or nutritive agent as advised by its unique distribution pattern and effect on amino acid metabolism.

Keywords: Amino acid; Avocado-seed-extract; CuS; Nanofertilizer; Phaseolus vulgaris.